


I swear I’ve seen you before

by thesaddestboner



Series: in the shadows [13]
Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Drinking, Gen, Gender or Sex Swap, Non-Famous Family Members As Characters, Not!Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 11:02:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9892523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaddestboner/pseuds/thesaddestboner
Summary: Someone tapped Rick on the shoulder and he started to turn, slapping on a happy face, expecting it to be Max.





	

**Author's Note:**

> OH GOD. I FORGOT ABOUT THIS. 
> 
> This bar scene was replaced by the bar scene with Rick and Ryan in [Pull me out from inside](http://archiveofourown.org/works/297953). Both scenes start with the same opening line. I remember being very Committed to the awkwardness, but ended up taking it out and replacing it with the Ryan scene because I didn't want Rick and Jake meeting this early in the fic (or, like, at all).
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/thesaddestboner) and [tumblr](http://saddestboner.tumblr.com).

Someone tapped Rick on the shoulder and he started to turn, slapping on a happy face, expecting it to be Max.  

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Rick’s stomach dropped to his knees, straight down to the floor.  He’d recognize that voice anywhere because it sounded just like his own.  _Before_.  “Excuse me?”  

Jake stood there, smiling nervously at him, and rubbed his palms together.  “I was just wondering if I could buy you a drink.” He offered Rick a disarming smile he’d seen him use on girls countless times. “I saw you by the bar earlier, we kinda had a connection and I thought maybe . . .”

Rick knew he was staring but he couldn’t think of anything else to do besides run away.  “Oh.  Yeah.  Uh, what’s your name?”

“Jake,” he said.  “You?”

“Erica.  Uh, I’m Max Scherzer’s girlfriend.” Rick thrust out a hand at him.

“Oh.  Oh!  Sorry, I didn’t know,” he said, laughing and accepting his hand. They shook.  “I’ll still get you that drink anyway, if you want.”

“That sounds nice,” Rick said.  His eyes felt tight and itchy, and he rubbed at them with his thumb.  “Thanks, Jake.”

Jake paused, resting his hand on the bar. “I swear I’ve seen you before. You look really familiar for some reason.”

“Maybe you saw me at one of the charity things for your brother,” Rick said. 

Suddenly, like an unexpected fastball to the ribs, he wanted to be done with this conversation before he said something stupid, something he couldn’t take back. 

“Maybe,” Jake said, but he sounded doubtful, pensive. He gnawed on his bottom lip. “I just feel like we know each other from somewhere.”

Rick clenched his hands at his sides and said, “I’m sorry, I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“I swear I wasn’t trying to come on to you.” Jake put his hands up, palms out, laughing.

Rick turned to look for Max. He was winding his way through the crowd toward the bar, holding an empty shot glass over his head. Rick looked back at Jake. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Max made his way to them and glanced from Rick to Jake and back again. He smiled dopily, showing just a flash of teeth. “Jake? Hey.” Max slipped an arm low around Rick’s waist, balancing the shot glass on his hip.

Jake nodded at him and they leaned forward, shook hands and settled back again. “Hey, man. Nice game.”

Max laughed and swayed into Rick’s side, curling his fingers in the shoulder of his blouse. “Thanks. Not like I had anything to do with it though.”

“How drunk are you,” Rick asked him, sliding a hand over his chest and steadying him.

Max grinned at him, eyes watery and rimmed with red. “Lost a bet.”

“Didn’t answer my question.” Rick rolled his eyes and patted down the front of Max’s sweater.

“Oh.” Max tapped the shot glass once against Rick’s hip and furrowed his brow. Rick could practically see the gears whirling in his head. “I had a bunch of shots. Then Verlander dared me to do Irish Car Bombs with him ’cause he didn’t think I had the stones or something.” He tugged Rick into his side and rested his chin in his hair.

“Oh, God.” Rick closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Max smelled heavily of booze, and underneath that was the hint of soap and aftershave. “I think it’s time to go.”

“ ’kay, ‘kay, you win.” Max stepped back and disentangled himself from Rick, slid his hands down his bare arms. “You’re so beautiful.” He touched Rick’s cheek lightly.

Rick blinked at him. “We have an audience.” He nodded to Jake, who hadn’t moved from his spot at the bar. Jake glanced away and coughed lightly.

“Sorry. I just think you’re really beautiful,” Max said, smiling lopsidedly at Rick.

Rick smiled, in spite of himself, and shook his head. “Okay, Romeo.”

**Author's Note:**

> The author of this piece intends no insult, slander, or copyright infringement, and is not profiting from this work. This story is a complete work of fiction and does not necessarily reflect on the nature of the individuals featured. This is for entertainment purposes only. If you found this story while Googling your name or the names of your friends, hit the back button now.


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